Mercy Kittinger lived on a farm and came to London to clean up a mess her brother made. She had a dress made so she could go into the Hell. Her twin had gambled away their farm. Her parents were dead, and everything had been left to her useless brother. She also had a younger sister and she had to take care of her because her brother wouldn't. Silas Masters, the owner of Hell, was the one who gambled with her brother and won. Mr. Masters was other than being rich, good looking, thick dark hair, closely trimmed beard, broad shoulders,
sensually lips, definitely, an appealing and attractive man.

Silas had grown up in poverty and worked his way up. He didn't really trust. He was a lonely man because of it. He was not interested in marriage or love. But Mercy wasn't either. She had a farm to care for and employees. her sister. Love and marriage were not for her. These wonderful characters got along so well. They were engaging and the story was mesmerizing. They were both responsible people and fought against their feelings. I loved their novel and was glad to see the progression of the tale. I am anxiously awaiting her next book. She writes so well.

I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

Mercy Kittinger is determined to fix her brothers’s mistake. After her brother gambles away the family home, she takes it upon herself to steal the contract back. Unfortunately, this requires her to sneak into Silas Masters’ room. Silas, gaming hell owner and overall rake, catches her and the rest is…well history.

I really enjoyed this one! Anytime a gaming hell owner is the hero of a story, I immediately snatch it up. Silas and Mercy’s first meeting was spicy, y’all. Their relationship was developed really well and they worked as a couple really well! Mercy, a spinster, ravishing Silas when he catches her in his rooms was such a unique meet cute. I loved it! Silas isn’t quite the rake I thought he was going to be, but that’s okay! He turned out to be really sweet! His ending grand gesture touched my heart! Mercy was a fierce heroine. She went after what she wanted and didn’t let her inexperience interfere!

The only thing that kept this from being five stars was some writing styles that felt…odd and out of place. Prose tended towards too flowery at odd times. It took me out of the story a time or too because it just felt strange. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this!

The Rake Gets Ravished is about Mercy - a spinster who is trying to save the country home after her twin brother gambles it away. To save the home, she decides to steal the voucher from Silas, the gambling hell owner. Of course the vouchers are in his room. Of course, she gets caught - and yes, she decides to sleep with him as a cover for being in his room! Silas is none too happy when he realizes Mercy was a thief and sets out to find her!

This book has one of the best intros I have read recently. It’s fast paced and the first 20-25% of the book is hawt! After that, I would consider it a slow burn with mutual yearning. In the beginning the reader has a sense of Mercy and her motivations, but you really don’t know Silas, so he really felt like a mysterious stranger I had to get to know for most of the book! I am a diehard Mercy fan. She is a woman making the best of her circumstances and trying to live up to the responsibility that was set on her shoulders at a very young age.

I am a huge Pride and Prejudice fan and this book definitely gave me Pride & Prejudice vibes - from location, to an unappreciative sister, to Silas saving the day (very Darcy-esque style). I also imagined the Bennet family home from the Kiera Knightly version of the movie in regards to Mercy’s home. This book was an absolute delight to read and I would recommend it to any historical romance lover! Especially those who enjoy reading main characters who are not in the upper echelons of the aristocracy!

Lord save us from idiot brothers that gamble away the family fortune…is what I imagine farmgirl Mercy Kittinger would say when she learned just that!

This book starts out like another historical romance I had read; so much so that I had to go back to Goodreads to make sure I hadn’t read this book before. However, the story takes a unique and steamy turn right away and I approve!

The opposites-attract couple of farmgirl Mercy and gaming hell owner Silas was delightful to read about. Mercy is gutsy and a take-charge character, which I really liked. Silas was a little bland as a hero, but he redeems himself by a grand gesture ending, done the right way.

Of note: There is a scene at the start of the book that was a bit of a stretch of the imagination. Also, Silas’ beard is referred to as a ‘pelt’ in the story and that, in my mind, is in no way a positive thing.

4.5 stars, rounded up

When her twin brother Bede recklessly gambles away their family farm, Mercy Kittinger travels to London and infiltrates the gaming hell, The Rogue’s Den with no real plan in mind other than to retrieve the voucher her brother gave Silas Masters, the hell’s owner. Once inside, Mercy unintentionally draws Silas’ attention and is stunned by her immediate attraction to him. But she has a job to do and drooling over Silas won’t save her family. She searches the club and finds Silas’ private rooms, finding the voucher. But as she is leaving, Silas enters, and rather than run, Mercy pretends that she was there to seduce him, an offer he turns down. Instead of being relieved, she is a bit miffed and starts to leave, but makes it clear that Silas is making a mistake.

When Silas finds Mercy in his rooms, his first instinct is to send her away, but her saucy nature intrigues him. Silas is a self-made man and a bit of a loner and if truth be told, he is a little bored, so he calls her bluff and invites Mercy to stay. And they share an incredible night of passion, but when he wakes, she is gone and he discovers the truth, she is a thief!

He tracks her down and is surprised to realize he doesn’t want to let her go, so he demands to stay at the farm until he knows that their night together didn’t produce any consequences. And they form a friendship, but beneath it all simmers the attraction they experienced in London. Despite their friendship and the respect he has come to have for her, Silas believes that marriage is not for him and Mercy is not willing to be a kept woman, so they are at a stalemate, but when it comes time for Silas to return to London, will he be able to walk away, and will she let him?

This was a great installment to the series and, I loved Silas and Mercy, they had such great chemistry and it was clear from the start, that they belonged together. The book has witty banter, steamyish love scenes, great secondary characters, elopements, shocking surprises, a loser brother who get his due, and finally a HEA. Silas is not a rake – far from it and I do wish Silas’ backstory had gotten a bit more page time, I also wish that he put up more of a fight in the end, but really those things are minor and I loved this story! The book is part of “The Duke Hunt” series but is it very loosely connected and this book can easily be read as a standalone title.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

Second in the Duke Hunt series and a much improved couple. I happily recommend this for people who enjoy historical fiction with strong, independent female leads and a hero that values those characteristics. It also helps if you enjoy extra hot in the steam department.

Mercy Kittenger, 26 runs her family home and supervises her 17 year old sister. When her wastrel brother gambles away their property in a hell den she decides to steal back the note of indebtedness. Breaking into private rooms is easier than expected. But once there she is caught by the owner himself. To distract him she she seduces him, not in fear, but in wantonness and to enjoy the experience.

Silas Masters enjoys his night and afterwards pieces together what has happened. He shows up at the Kittenger house and demands to stay until he is sure there is not child. I love this couple. Silas sees how hard she works to care for the land and the families she employs. Unlike her brother he is more than willing to pitch in and lend a hand. I was rooting for them from the get go. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A hero beyond compare! Silas Masters, has made a name for himself in London as a gaming den owner. Part of that was wealth came from easily winning land and other items from lowlife's who didn't know when to walk away from the tables.

Unfortunately for Mercy Kittinger, her brother was one such lowlife who lost their family home to Silas. The hand she was dealt was much better, in that it allowed for an opportunity to meet the man who held the note.

After an interesting first meeting, the way they parted didn't sit well with Silas, and rightfully so. A visit to Mercy was in order but upon further acquaintance, he quickly discovered he might have been wrong in how he judged her character.

During the trip, Silas continued to show how gallant he was and came to Mercy's aid time and time again. My only quibble with the story was that while Silas was made aware of all Mercy endured growing up and how she was not adequately cared for by those who should have watched out for her well-being, Silas never really shared his story with her. Only the reader was given his full backstory. What he went through spoke so much to how he deeply protected those he loved. He deserved to share his burdens with Mercy,

I also wish Mercy's brother, Bebe, hadn't have gotten off as easily as he did but it further showed how Silas was not only a great provider for Mercy but also looked after all her emotional needs as well.

They were a great match for one another and I hope we see this couple again in the next series!

Great book!

Great premise! Great opening! Could not put it down. Loved it!

I received an advance reader copy. these are my honest opinions voluntarily given.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
The Rake Gets Ravished is the second book in Sophie Jordan’s Duke Hunt series. Having DNFed the first one because I found both leads insufferable, I can confirm this works as a stand-alone, and those characters are barely present in this one. And as is the case with my complicated relationship with Sophie Jordan’s work, this one was far better than its predecessor.
Mercy is an awesome heroine. She’s the one who really cares for their family’s livelihood, what with her brother, Bede, who has legal rights to the property and guardianship of her and their other sister, Grace, being a complete wastrel with aspirations beyond his means. I love that she’s willing to do whatever it takes to save her family from ruin and keep a roof over their heads…even if it means compromising her own virtue and seducing a fearsome gaming hell owner.
Silas is a hero I was initially intrigued by, if cautious of, but he very quickly grew on me. He’s raised himself up from pretty much nothing, and while he does take pride in the financial ruin of others at first, often these men deserve to be taken down a peg or three (Bede certainly does, even if his sisters don’t deserve to be collateral damage). And in spite of his adherence to some of the behaviors of a rakish hero, his background has imbued him with a sense of nobility and honor, which dictates his relationship with Mercy. He’s initially determined to see that there haven’t been consequences of their encounter, to the point of inserting himself into Mercy’s life in an infuriating way, but as their bond grows beyond the memories of the sensual spark of that night, I loved how he showed he cared deeply for her, even if he wasn’t prepared to admit it himself.
I also appreciate that there was a combination of emotional conflict, with them being from different worlds and navigating that in the wake of their changing relationship, and some external forces that motivated them to act for one another. The big and small gestures they each made for each other to prove their love throughout made me root for them more consistently as a couple.
This book is utterly charming, sweet, and sexy in equal measure. This book is perfect if you like historical romances with roguish heroes with hearts of gold and feisty, independent heroines.

Sophie Jordan fits into an interesting space in historical romance for me. Her books are usually a lot more dramatic (and hotter) than the average ballroom historical. Rather than spending a ton of time with the stodgy the upper crust, her heroines are often running about, spending time in the great outdoors, or concocting zany schemes. They often don't wait for their wedding nights to consummate their romances, and you might even see them get married on the page, though of course they'll always get their happily ever afters.

At the same time, the stories are somewhat enclosed and not as insanely high stakes as they could be. The combination means that they're kind of comfort reads for me--there's a part of me that would love to see her go for it with some truly wacky villain, but I also... just need a break sometimes. She's kind of where the funny comfort level of Tessa Dare meets the feminist high drama of Sarah MacLean. And that's a good place to be in.

I've got to admit that she had me up until the end with the first book in this series, The Duke Goes Down. But one last minute plot twist just pushed the heroine a bit over the edge into like, TV!Penelope Featherington level crimes, and it did ruin the book for me a bit. I was kind of waiting for that to happen with this one, but thankfully it didn't.

It's Mercy who makes so much of this one work, in fact. She's a bit of a virgin who can't drive, a little fly by the seat of her pants, and somewhat uhhhh ambitious in her goals. It's actually very adorable to read about man of the world Silas Masters just kind of sitting there in charmed bemusement while she attempts to seduce him until she actually, somehow succeeds. However, it's but a ruse! Mercy has sex with Silas (a lot of sex) in order to steal the voucher for her family's farm from him, which he fairly won from her brother in a game. He's pissed when he wakes up and realizes that she got one over him, but he's also pissed because she's gone and he UNKNOWINGLY TOOK HER MAIDENHEAD *gasp*.

It's all super cute, and I enjoy the slight combativeness between Silas and Mercy, while he still takes care to handle her with kid gloves. You definitely get the impression that she's being awakened not just sexually but emotionally, and he takes her feelings seriously. I also appreciated Jordan just kind of going for the sex almost immediately in the book? You don't get that often in historical romances, and I am but a sucker for a couple that goes to bed first and then develops feelings for each other. (Though to be real, Silas is gone as soon as he realizes that Mercy smells like oranges. Mostly because he has an orange fetish, I think.)

Like most of Sophie Jordan's books, it's quick and compulsively readable (even when I don't love a Jordan, I can't stop reading; she has that kind of writing style). There could be more depth to the story--even when I love her books, I think she could stand to get a little more into the feelings. The ending is also tied up rather easily and kind of at the last minute, which was an issue I had with The Duke Goes Down as well. But this one is a major improvement, and I would recommend it if you need something quick and uncomplicated, but want to be thoroughly entertained at the same time.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I found the beginning of this book really odd when the hero and heroine just jump into bed without any chemistry in between them. There was no character build-up and chemistry development. But as the story progressed, I really liked both their characters and loved the chemistry between them. If you don’t like the beginning of this book, keep at it because you might like the rest of the story.

This is book two in “The Duke Hunt” series but could be read as a standalone.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

First of all, this book starts off with a bang. Usually historicals take a bit of time to get steamy, but know it happens fast here. I absolutely adored Mercy. I’m a sucker for a highly capable heroine and she fits the bill. The chemistry between her and Silas utterly delightful. Silas wasn’t my favorite hero, though. I didn’t dislike him, but I was mostly rooting for Mercy rather than him. The supporting characters were a delight and I loved the different settings. Jordan kept the plot moving nicely and I ended up utterly sucked in.

This was my first Sophie Jordan book and I adored it. This book contained all the ingredients for my perfect read. The heroine was strong, capable, and carried her own. The hero was tender, pining, and loyal. Sweet moments, dual POV and steam make for a great read.

"The Rake Gets Ravished" opens with Mercy entering a gaming hell to steal back the claim to her family farm her brother lost in a game of cards to Silas Masters. Masters is the gaming hell owner and has a reputation about town for being a force to reckon with. Mercy seduces him and steals the gambling note back then leaves while Masters is sleeping. Not one to be taken advantage of, Masters finds Mercy and spends the rest of the book falling in love.

Each little moment was fantastic, enjoy this book without knowing much and savor each second.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The entire time I was reading this I had a sense of déjà vu. I swear I have read this book before. Regardless, the stories heroine Mercy, is a badass and her family is the worst! I really enjoyed Silas Masters and Mercy together, I thought he was perfect for her. Masters act of selflessness at the end of the book was completely swoon worthy. It bumped the book from a 3 to a 4 star for me, it was that good. Overall the pacing of the story was great and this was definitely a nicely done quick read.

What a sweet, heartwarming book! Ms. Jordan always has the most unique plots, and this one is VERY unique. The premise of the book is this: Mercy Kittinger--whose brother is an absolute waste of a human being and lost their home in a card game--seduces the man who won the home in the card game in an attempt to steal the voucher and get it back. Which she does. The first sex scene is within the first 5 pages. Once she seduces and steals the voucher, she goes back home and burns it. The man who she seduces is actually the owner of the gambling hell, Silas Masters. Once he deduces what happened, she shows up at their home and demands to stay at their home until...well...I'm not going to spoil that reason. Anyway, what follows is a surprisingly tender love story.

The first sex scene in this book (in the first chapter, between strangers) was super awkward at first. They'd known each other for only a few minutes, and she apparently isn't "his type" (his words, not mine.) And since we already know from her own thoughts that she's a virgin and a simple country woman, it seemed super unlikely that this would even happen. Not that I'm against a sex-positive heroine, but because the whole meeting seemed weird, and her attempt at sexy talk was beyond awkward to read. Because of this, I didn't really enjoy their first meeting. I wasn't really sure how much better it was going to get. I'm glad I trusted Ms. Jordan, because WOW, did it surprise me in a good way!

Ms. Jordan's writing is always good. She makes a wonderfully crafted story, and this book was no different. What DID surprise me, however, is the character's growth and openness. In the beginning, these seem like stock characters: the seductive, gorgeous gaming hell owner, and the naïve, country spinster. But I was absolutely blown away when Silas turns out to be a monogamous teddy bear, and Mercy was no naïve pushover, but was a strong, hard-working, proud woman. I adore them both. Out of the both of them, Silas surprised me the most. He seemed arrogant and kinda mean at first. But over the course of his two-week stay, he proves himself to be a hard worker around the farm, someone who champions women, and ends up giving up something so dear to him to save Mercy from an miserable fate. I fell so in love with him and his giant heart.

Overall, I gave this book 5 stars because of Ms. Jordan's writing and her ability to produce such a loving, tender story. It was an amazing book, and I will be recommending it to everyone on my IG account!

A reverse romance…yes and it is delightful. I have read just a couple with this plot and actually really like it. We have hot and steamy and then the learning each other almost slow burn but you would not think that with their interactions sometimes. I like how they became friends and trusted each other. This is a very fast read that will keep you entertained and having a hard time putting it down. Absolutely love Silas and Mercy.

I haven’t read a Sophie Jordan book since she stopped writing YA… and now I’m thinking that was a definite mistake!

There is a soft spot in my heart for Regency Romance, it’s the subset of the genre that I first read and as such, reading Regency is almost like coming home.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, but everything I want in a Regency was here.

Our heroine Mercy (whose name I love) begins her journey with so much agency I was cheering. It is up to Mercy to rectify the mistakes of her idiot brother and save her family… and she does it by taking charge of her sexuality and being a thief.

Like… what?!

Mercy’s character agency was truly the highlight for me in this book. She knew what she wanted, and she took charge of it. She was tired of being a spinster, so she took charge of her sexuality. She wanted to protect her family, so she took risks. She was the one doing all the work while her brother put them in ruin and I loved it.

Silas (whose name I also love) was the typical gaming hell owner who has sworn off marriage… until he runs into Mercy. He was kind, protective, and essentially everything we want in a Regency man.

The side characters were also fantastic and I’m crossing my fingers for a Grace book!

The one complaint I have is I wasn’t sure if you could even grow oranges in England (I looked it up and apparently you can). Otherwise though I was completely engulfed in the story and it was the perfect real world distraction for me.

I’m rating it 5 stars because I literally felt my stomach dropping when the tension got high, and any book that makes me physically react is worth a read!

Huge thanks to Harper Collins/Avon and Netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review!

I received this book as an arc from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
This was my 1st book from this author. I'm not going to explain what it is about, the blurb explains that. I enjoyed this book a lot. It was refreshingly different from some I have read.
The heroine has a lot of spunk for a spinster. Life wasn't fair to her, but she kept on. She really wanted a night to see what she was missing in life. Her brother was such a jerk. He caused all her problems.
The hero was jaded from life and experience. She stole from him and he wants it back. He didn't expect to want more from her.
I loved how he took charge and helped out. He as possessive but not overwhelming.
The heat level was pretty good. The ending was good. I enjoyed this book a lot. I highly recommend it.

This second book of Sophie Jordan's Duke Hunt series wastes no time diving right into the intense action between Mercy Kittinger and Silas Masters. Mercy's imbecile of a brother has gambled away her family's farm and she must steal back the voucher for it from the gambling den of Silas. Upon being is caught in Silas' private rooms, Mercy feigns being an experienced lady and finds herself in bed with Silas.
I really loved that Mercy was a heroine in charge of her own fate in this story and that tried her best with her situation. That being said, although falling right into bed with Silas from the start was mega hot, I didn't love that there was nothing emotional going on between the two prior to this. It kind of threw the rest of their relationship and the book off balance for me. After experiencing that much heat in the first couple of chapters, we are then left in a standstill of both physical and emotional intimacy for most of the book.
Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of the above opinions are of my own.

First - I don’t understand what the book title has to do with the story.

Secondly - this was a very quick read, it felt sort of like spark notes.

Otherwise - this was a cute, steamy, unique historical romance.

So much yet so little happened in this story because it jumped around a bit. There were lots of instances where you were told something happened instead of showed.

I enjoyed the read - but I wasn’t wowed by the story or the writing. It was a nice way to pass the time